Hair Repair Club

Hair Repair Club

Education / Practical Course Guide

“The detail makes the difference.”

The cutting & refining course.

The 11-Step Refinement Method

From first cut to seamless finish

Hands-on cutting, blending and styling.
A practical guide to refining an already-fitted system.

Taught by Josh Holley

Begin the course

Chapter 01

Length & Shape

  1. 01De-bulk

    Remove the initial excess length. Work around the head using the existing haircut as your guide. Where the sides are cut to a number two before a skin fade, use that line to guide the initial system length.

  2. 02Length

    Establish the desired finished length, working progressively from the front towards the back.

  3. 03Shape

    Bring in the corners to refine the shape and connect the top with the sides.

Notes — Chapter 01Saved on this device

Chapter 02

Direction & First Dry

  1. 04Direction

    Re-saturate with water and styling spray. Use firm, repeated combing or brushing to manipulate the knots and encourage the desired direction before blow-drying.

  2. 05First Dry

    Blow-dry into the intended style. Assess how the hair sits and where weight remains before blending the sides.

Notes — Chapter 02Saved on this device

Chapter 03

The Three-Step Blending Method

The three-step technique for blending the sides. Revisit this method during Reset & Refine and the fringe work later in the course.

The Three-Step Blending Method

Internal Weight & External Length

Elevated side section: internal weight reduced, external length preservedHair fans diagonally up and away from the side of the head. Three numbered internal areas progress from the upper layers downwards. The longest outside strand and its outline remain intact. This is a conceptual diagram, not exact cutting placement.Head123Internal WeightReduce withinExternal LengthPreserve the outlineLift up & away
  1. 01Begin with the upper internal layers
  2. 02Work down through the section
  3. 03Blend the lower internal layers
Lift the side section up and away from the head. Work from above down through the three stages, reducing internal weight while preserving the external outline and length. Follow the live demonstration for exact elevation and cutting placement.

  1. 06Side Blend

    Focus on the sides only. Section the top out of the way and drop down a portion of the side hair. Lift the layers and work through the three-stage technique, starting above and moving down.

Notes — Chapter 03Saved on this device

Chapter 04

Reset & Refine

  1. 07Reset

    Re-saturate and apply our styling spray for conditioning, heat protection and a little hold. Brush firmly into shape, leaving the fringe aside. Blow-dry smooth, almost as though ironing the hair.

  2. 08Refine

    Revisit the three-stage blend. Visually assess the shape and use the points of the thinning scissors to pick into remaining weight only where needed.

    We may wet and blow-dry the hair five or six times to settle the look.

    Another styling pass does not automatically require more blending; sometimes we simply need more movement through blow-drying.

Notes — Chapter 04Saved on this device

Chapter 05

Fringe & Finish

  1. 09Fringe Length

    Choose the desired length. Shatter the ends with thinning scissors or a razor to soften the edge.

  2. 10Fringe Weight

    Apply the three-stage technique from behind the fringe towards its ends, reducing internal weight. Work through a couple of times and assess how the hair falls.

  3. 11Settle & Finish

    Blow-dry into style. Look for a seamless side blend and a separated fringe with some daylight showing through. Repeat the styling process as needed; refine with thinning scissors only where the visual result calls for it.

Notes — Chapter 05Saved on this device

Ask the course

Stuck on a cut?

Describe what you're seeing and we'll point you to the most relevant steps, with how to apply them.

Overview

The 11-Step Refinement Method

From first cut to seamless finish

  1. 01De-bulk○
  2. 02Length○
  3. 03Shape○
  4. 04Direction○
  5. 05First Dry○
  6. 06Side Blend○
  7. 07Reset○
  8. 08Refine○
  9. 09Fringe Length○
  10. 10Fringe Weight○
  11. 11Settle & Finish○

Notes and completed steps are saved on this device only.